Wine and Food Pairings

The general rule when pairing wine with proteins as a main course is white wine with white food and red wine with red food. Therefore, beef and lamb will pair with red wines while chicken and pork pair with white wines. We would recommend our Autumn White Wine (dry) and Vidal Blanc (semi-sweet) when wanting to pair with roast chicken, a turkey dinner, and pork tenderloin. Our Merlot (dry) and Autumn Red Wine (semi-dry) are great options to pair with a steak, lamb roast, or beef stew.

Seafood and white wine are a match made in heaven! Our Vignoles is a perfect option to pair with shrimp, scallops, oysters, and any other shellfish. While white wine is a great option for most fish fillets (especially white fish), more meaty fish (tuna, swordfish, etc.) can pair well with a red wine; try our Autumn Red Wine with some Mahi-Mahi. With a lighter flavor fish that will be served with a sauce, pair the wine to the sauce rather than the fish. Tomato or soy sauce bases will pair better with a red wine while citrus and herb bases will be better with a white wine.

In general, a vegetable dish will pair well with a white wine. White wines will tend to be more floral, citrusy, and bright and will be reminiscent of the garden the veggies were picked in. Autumn White Wine with asparagus, Vignoles with a vegetable soup, and Vista White Wine with a salad. Some vegetables with more umami flavor like mushrooms, roast potatoes, and certain beans, will pair well with your favorite red wine.

Pairing wine with pasta is more about what is going with pasta (sauce, toppings) than the pasta itself. A tomato based sauce with ground beef will go well with a red wine; Barbera and Autumn Red Wine are great options. The Vista Red Wine can make a good pair with pasta and a red sauce if you like a sweeter wine. For pasta with other types of sauce (cream, cheese, oil) a white wine like Autumn White Wine, Vignoles, or Vista White Wine. (Bonus pairing: try our Autumn Red Wine with pizza!!)

While smoked meats and outdoor cooking sounds like beer’s domain, wine has it’s place outside as well! Traditional BBQ food like ribs, pulled pork, and brisket pair well with a sweeter wine. Vista Rosé Wine, Vidal Blanc, and Vista Red Wine are great options while our fruit wines like Cranberry Apple Wine and Apple Wine pair well also. Try those same wines for burgers, hot dogs, and kebabs for a chilled drink while cooking and eating outside.

As the name suggests, dessert wines pair well with dessert! While dessert wines can be dessert by themselves, some of our fruit wines pair better with certain desserts. For fruity desserts, try the Plum Wine for a tangy twist. For creamy desserts, white cakes, and cookies, pair the Blackberry Wine or Chateau Gnaw Bone Black Raspberry cordial (if you want something a little stronger). Chocolate desserts (or just a nice chocolate bar) will pair well with the Strawberry Wine or the Old Barrel Port.